People living with the aftereffects of bullying held a press conference in Tokyo on November 4 and called on the education ministry to address "bullying aftereffects" in the national curriculum guidelines it issues. The group, Ijime Kōishō Dot Com, submitted a petition to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Children and Families Agency.
The group also filed an opinion on the summary of deliberations toward the next curriculum guidelines, which is currently open for public comment. Bullying aftereffects — the physical and psychological symptoms that persist after the bullying itself has ended — is not a diagnosis. Psychiatrist Tamaki Saito proposed the concept from what he observed in his clinical work with hikikomori — people who withdraw from society and remain largely confined at home.
Risk found to persist into middle age
A British cohort study involving Ryu Takizawa, a professor at the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Education, found that people bullied as children carry a higher risk of depression, anxiety and other mental illness into middle age. The study tracked groups with and without a suspected causal factor and compared their rates of illness or death.
In a survey the group conducted to prepare its public comment, 84.4% of respondents reported lowered self-esteem as a symptom that continued after the bullying. Flashbacks and nightmares, and delusions of reference — the sense that people nearby are speaking ill of them or laughing at them — each stood at 77.5%. Fear of being disliked was reported by 75.8% and distrust of people by 75.4%. The survey ran from May 2021 to March 2026 and drew 244 valid responses.
What the group asked for
In its public comment, the group asked that symptoms of bullying aftereffects and how to care for them be taught formally in moral education and health and physical education classes. It also sought anti-bullying measures built on role-play and teaching materials on how to engage with people living with aftereffects.
The group further asked that the physical and psychological effects of bullying be studied in detail in health and physical education, so that students understand bullying as a problem that threatens health. It called for leaflets for parents, to help families spot aftereffects early and support children at home.
“I want the guidelines to state the concrete effects, symptoms and self-care for bullying and bullying aftereffects, and to bring in practical learning.”Ina, who heads Ijime Kōishō Dot Com, told the press conference
Ina said families of bullying victims and teenagers had sent messages of support for the public comment. One teenager, unable to make friends understand the distress because aftereffects are not widely recognized, asked that the concept become known.
“If I had known about the concept of bullying aftereffects sooner, I think it would have been easier to ask for support. I want victims of bullying, and the people around them, to be taught about bullying aftereffects as early as possible.”Ina said